Unlike many professional boxers who have publicly voiced their disdain for mixed martial arts, pro wrestlers have usually been complimentary of the sport. It’s common to see tweets from Jim Ross (former WWE announcer) giving his thoughts on a UFC Pay Per View. CM Punk recently planned on walking Chael Sonnen into the cage for the UFC on FOX 2 event.
It’s fight week so you now what that means, UFC President Dana White’s fight week video blogs. UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes is in Rio once again and features 12 Brazilian born fighters on the card, headlined by the featherweight champion Jose Aldo defending his title against the undefeated Chad Mendes.
Just over a week ago Brock Lesnar retired from MMA after being systematically taken apart by Alistair Overeem inside the first round. At this point Alistair’s win was overshadowed by Lesnar’s retirement from the sport, and the drama of the UFC losing one of its biggest PPV earners. There has been much fuss about the loss of the former champion but we offer up three reasons to calm down.
Did Brock Lesnar do the right thing by calling it a career last Friday night? Randy Couture retired and came back, will Brock? Will we see Lesnar doing his patented “F-5” in the WWE anytime soon? With his post fight announcement that he was retiring from MMA, Lesnar leaves a lot of unanswered questions that will slowly but surely be answered with time.
Known as “the baddest man on the planet” to some and a joke wrestler coming to make a fool of himself inside of a cage to others, the legacy Brock Lesnar will be remembered with will be personal to each individual. Many have mixed emotions about the former WWE superstar and former UFC champion, some stating it was hype and a money scheme while others were in his corner to watch him break free of the stigma he wanted to rid himself of. Now with his retirement announced following consecutive and brutal finishes, the NCAA champion should be remembered not how he came to MMA but how he left it and what he did while in its presence.
With the New Year’s Holiday over the Nevada State Athletic Commission earlier today issued their medical suspensions from this past week’s UFC 141. The commission handed out mandatory suspensions to twelve fighters, including both main event fighters and 8 of the 10 main card participants.
And then it was over….. The great year in Mixed Martial Arts that was 2011 is now in the books, making way for 2012. The final UFC event of 2011 was a card packed with unexpected outcomes and fighters elevating their stock heading into the New Year. Of course with the good there also are the bad and those fighters whose stock fell following UFC 141.
The final UFC of the 2011 year is taking place tonight from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada with UFC 141. Headlined by a heavyweight fight between the former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar against the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. Tonight’s preliminary action can be seen on Facebook and Spike TV, while the main event will air on PPV.
